Rush Creek 345 Kv Transmission Line Project Arapahoe County 1041 Permit Application 1041 Permit-REV03
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November 10, 2016 PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF COLORADO Rush Creek 345 kV Transmission Line Project Arapahoe County 1041 Permit Application 1041 Permit-REV03 This page intentionally left blank. Public Service Company of Colorado Rush Creek 345 kV Transmission Line Project Arapahoe County 1041 Application-REV03 Arapahoe County 1041 Permit Application PREPARED FOR: PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF COLORADO PREPARED BY: POWER ENGINEERS INC. LAKEWOOD, CO Public Service Company of Colorado Rush Creek 345 kV Transmission Line Project Arapahoe County 1041 Application-REV03 This page intentionally left blank. Public Service Company of Colorado Rush Creek 345 kV Transmission Line Project Arapahoe County 1041 Application-REV03 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCo or “Applicant”) has prepared this Areas and Activities of State Interest (Colorado House Bill 1041; 1041 Regulations) permit application per the requirements outlined in Chapter 5 of the Regulations Governing Areas and Activities of State Interest in Arapahoe County. This application is organized based on the 2012 Eastern Colorado Connect LLC application per the request of the Arapahoe County Public Works and Development, Planning Division. PSCo is providing Project information, exhibits, and materials, which are hereby incorporated into and made part of the Application below in order to comply with Arapahoe County 1041 Permit approval criteria. PROJECT SUMMARY The Rush Creek 345 kV Transmission Line Project is an approximately 80-93 mile long (depending on the preferred alternative) 345 kV transmission line, planned to cross approximately 13.5 miles of eastern Arapahoe County, approximately 41 miles of Elbert County, and 26 miles of Lincoln County as depicted on the map in Figure 2-1 (Arapahoe County – Rush Creek 345 kV Transmission Line Project Map). The Project will interconnect approximately 600 MW of proposed wind-generated electricity from the proposed Rush Creek I and II Wind Farms into the existing Missile Site Substation in Arapahoe County. Rush Creek I is located in Elbert County and Rush Creek II is located in Cheyenne, Kit Carson, and Lincoln Counties. Although information about the Project as a whole is submitted herein, the subject of this Application is the Rush Creek 345 kV Transmission Line Project in Arapahoe County. For this Project, PSCo analyzed eight end-to-end route alternatives (Alternatives A – H) and selected a Preferred Alternative for the entire Rush Creek 345 kV Transmission Line Project. When considering landowner interest, both within Arapahoe County and along the entire transmission line route, the selected Preferred Alternative was designed to balance minimizing the number of residences passed along the route within Arapahoe County, minimizing the distance passed through sensitive environmental areas, and minimizing impacts to various resources while maximizing engineering design optimization and the purpose and need of the Project. Alternative A was selected as the Preferred Alternative. Alternative A would be the longest alternative through Arapahoe County; however, it would minimize impacts to several key resources and would parallel the existing NextEra 345 kV Transmission Line for its entire length in Arapahoe County. The Preferred Alternative would pass by the fewest number of residences within 1,000 feet and crosses the fewest number of wetlands and floodplains. The Preferred Alternative would rank second for the number of stream crossings and the number of miles through Arapahoe County Sensitive Development Areas; three miles of the preliminary selected route in Arapahoe County were relocated to the west to avoid riparian habitat areas associated with the Muddy Creek drainage. The Preferred Alternative would pass through the most miles of potential prime farmland; however, soils comprising these lands are considered only potential prime farmland and are classified as prime if they are irrigated. The Preferred Alternative would rank second for miles passing through agricultural cropland lands and shortgrass prairie. Upon completion of permitting activities and approval by Cheyenne, Elbert, Lincoln, and Kit Carson Counties for the Rush Creek Wind Project, PSCo will purchase the Project. PSCo will own, operate, and maintain the wind farm and transmission line facilities. Invenergy, LLC is responsible for planning and permitting the wind farm that the proposed transmission line will interconnect into PSCo’s grid at the Missile Site Substation. PSCo’s planned involvement in the Rush Creek Wind Project was publicly announced on April 12, 2016 by the Company and in local and regional news outlets. More information I Public Service Company of Colorado Rush Creek 345 kV Transmission Line Project Arapahoe County 1041 Application-REV03 about the planned transaction can be found at http://www.transmission.xcelenergy.com/Projects/Colorado/Rush-Creek-Connect. The Project may include all or any of the following (collectively, “Transmission Line Facility”): (i) overhead electrical transmission and communications lines, transmission line structures, electric transformers, electric substation improvements at the Missile Site Substation, and other necessary interconnection facilities; (ii) construction and maintenance access roads; and (iii) temporary construction material and assembly yard(s). The Potential Arapahoe County Transmission Line Right of Way (ROW) Lease Names and Parcels for the Project Area are listed in Appendix A. Upon execution of the land leases with the landowners PSCo would be granted the sole and exclusive right to use the subject property for constructing, operating, and maintaining the proposed 345 kV transmission line. This includes all transmission line project development activities, of which local permitting is included. Upon execution, the Land Leases are recorded with Arapahoe County for this portion of the Project Area. Appendix B lists the Arapahoe County Parcel Township-Range-Section information within the Arapahoe County Project Area. The following Application and supporting documents address Arapahoe County 1041 Permit Application criteria specific to a Transmission Line Facility. Should any questions arise concerning the submittal or other considerations related to this Application, please contact the following party: Public Service Company of Colorado Erin A. Degutis, RLA, AICP, LEED AP 1800 Larimer Street , 4th Floor Senior Agent, Siting and Land Rights Denver, Colorado 80202 Public Service Company of Colorado d/b/a Xcel Energy Services, Inc. Telephone: 303.571.7735 Email: [email protected] II Public Service Company of Colorado Rush Creek 345 kV Transmission Line Project Arapahoe County 1041 Application-REV03 TABLE OF CONTENTS Arapahoe County 1041 Permit Application ............................................................................................... 1 1041 APPROVAL CRITERIA ........................................................................................................................ 3 A. General Approval Criteria ...................................................................................................................... 3 C. Additional Criteria Applicable to Major Facilities of a Public Utility ...................................................... 14 1. Applicant Information ........................................................................................................................ 17 1.1 Applicant Address and Contact.................................................................................................... 17 1.2 Background on Xcel Energy, Inc. and Public Service Company of Colorado. ............................. 17 1.3 Legal Description and Disclosure of Ownership .......................................................................... 18 1.4 Project Finances .......................................................................................................................... 18 2. Project Description ............................................................................................................................ 21 2.1 Project Purpose and Need ........................................................................................................... 21 2.2 Project Overview.......................................................................................................................... 21 2.3 Rush Creek Wind and Transmission Project Overview ............................................................... 22 2.4 Arapahoe County Project Site Description ................................................................................... 23 2.5 Transmission Line Siting Overview and Alternative Analysis Summary ...................................... 23 2.5.1 Transmission Line Siting Overview .......................................................................................... 23 2.5.2 Transmission Line Alternatives and Analysis Summary........................................................... 30 2.5.3 Selection of the Preferred Alternative ...................................................................................... 37 2.6 Project Features .......................................................................................................................... 38 2.6.1 Transmission Line .................................................................................................................... 38 2.6.2 Substations .............................................................................................................................